Gaudinot and Dodson Help Flyweights Steal The Show - UFC on FOX 3 Prelim Results

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ, May 5 – Fighting in front of his home state crowd at the IZOD Center, Hoboken’s Louis Gaudinot delivered the type of victory that will send his fans home happy Saturday night, as he submitted Brazilian newcomer John Lineker in the second round of a compelling flyweight scrap on the UFC on FOX 3 prelim card.

“I have nothing but respect for John, he’s shown a lot of class all week," said Gaudinot. "We were here to bang tonight and I think we proved that the flyweights belong and that we can excite the crowd. I heard the crowd go nuts and I loved it. I didn’t think I had enough time to get the choke in, but I went ahead and went for it anyway. I locked it in tight and I felt him go out and told the ref that it was over. My family and friends were here tonight and I knew I had to put on a show for them and definitely think we did. Hell of a way to get my first UFC win.”

It sure was. As soon as the two 125-pounders touched gloves to begin the bout, it was bombs away, with both going blow for blow in the center of the Octagon. It took until the second minute of the fight for the pace to dip slightly, as the fighters began planting their feet and adding some heat to each punch. With under two minutes left though, the slugging began in earnest once again, drawing cheers from the crowd and prompting the two to high five each other in appreciation. With 90 seconds left, Gaudinot switched things up on the Brazilian, taking him to the mat, where he unleashed some hard ground strikes. Lineker looked for a submission from his back, and the New Jersey favorite broke free with little difficulty before ending the round back on top.

More measured in their attacks to start round two, the battle began again soon enough, with Lineker’s vicious body attack opening up Gaudinot’s head for a series of hard shots against the fence. Gaudinot weathered the storm, and with a little over two minutes left, he scored his second takedown of the fight. A steady stream of blows followed, with Lineker unhurt, but still getting outpoined. In the final minute, the Brazilian rose, but Gaudinot had his head locked in a guillotine choke. “Goodnight” then pulled guard, and it was good night for Lineker, who was rescued by referee Keith Peterson at 4:54 of the round.

“We both threw a lot of strikes and I feel that it was a great fight for me and the fans," said Lineker. "In the end, he was able to get the choke in very tight and there was nothing I could do.”

Speed, flash, and entertainment. Flyweights John Dodson and Timothy Elliott delivered on all counts for three fast-paced rounds, with Dodson, The Ultimate Fighter season 14 winner, emerging victorious via a close, but unanimous, decision.

All three scores were 29-28 in favor of Dodson, now 14-5; Elliott falls to 8-3-1.

Elliott set a frenetic pace to start the fight, whether it was flashy kicks or a relentless attempt for a takedown. Dodson stayed cool in the pocket, but it wasn’t until the second minute that he found the opportunity to get his own offense going. Elliott took everything Dodson threw without flinching, and even a throw to the mat by “The Magician” was met by an Elliott submission attempt. An inadvertent poke to the eye by Dodson halted the action momentarily and brought in the Octagonside physician to check Elliott out in the final minute, but he was soon cleared to resume, opening the door for some of Dodson’s best striking of the fight thus far.

Cartwheels and spinning kicks from Elliott got the crowd roaring early in round two, but the more solid and effective blows were being landed by Dodson, who was content to sharpshoot as his foe came in wildly. And Elliott only got wilder – in the best sense of the word – as he chased Dodson across the Octagon in search of a takedown. Another break in the action took place in the final minute after a low blow from Dodson, and again, it proved to be beneficial for the Albuquerque product, who threw Elliott to the mat briefly before the bell rang.

Staying aggressive as Dodson countered, Elliott still couldn’t score the takedown in the third, but he never stopped trying to win. It was Dodson’s sharper technique and cool under fire that kept him in the lead though, even as Elliott delivered a final surge in the last 90 seconds.

Johnson used his range well in the first round, keeping Ferguson at bay with kicks and using quick counters when “El Cucuy” engaged. One such shot, a left to the side of the jaw at the midway point of the round, sent Ferguson to the canvas, though the Ultimate Fighter season 13 winner quickly made it back to his feet.

The left continued to pay off for Johnson as the fight progressed, with another shot to the jaw by the southpaw rocking Ferguson, who was having all sorts of difficulty cornering and scoring on his foe in the second.

Ferguson got a little closer in the final round, but he wasn’t nearly able to put together the type of offensive finish to hurt Johnson or pull out the fight, as “The Menace,” who once again jarred Ferguson with the left, finished the bout strong.

Entering tonight’s bout, both John Hathaway and Pascal Krauss were coming off layoffs of over a year, making the welterweight contest an apparent test of who had less ring rust. England’s Hathaway won that battle, impressively outpointing Germany’s previously unbeaten Krauss over three rounds to improve to 16-1.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Hathaway.

After a slow start to the bout, Hathaway got everyone into the action in the third minute with a left knee to the head that dropped Krauss (10-1) hard to the canvas. Hathaway moved in for the finish, but Krauss had cleared his head, and moments later he got back to his feet. From there, the German did his best to make up for any lost time with a takedown and some solid ground and pound before the bell sounded.

Hathaway opened round two with a takedown of his own, and he effectively controlled his foe from the top position, being just busy enough to put some points in the bank until Krauss got back to his feet with a little over two minutes left. Krauss came forward trying to equalize things, but Hathaway’s accurate strikes jarred him on a couple occasions, even though it was the Brit who returned to the corner with a bloodied nose.

The third was more of the same, with Krauss being competitive, but Hathaway one step ahead both on the ground and the feet. A knee from Hathaway appeared to break Krauss’ nose in the final minute, but despite a spirited effort, “The Hitman” was unable to finish his game foe before the end.

It wasn’t a barnburner, but California’s Danny Castillo spoiled the homecoming of up and comer John Cholish, winning a three round unanimous decision in lightweight action.

All three judges saw it 30-27.

Castillo (14-4) led the action in the first round, with Cholish (8-2) nullifying most of his opponent’s attack’s until a strong late finish from “Last Call.”

Cholish put his foot on the gas in the second round, but the equally matched battlers were locked in a stalemate that got the crowd restless until Castillo made his own noise with a thudding slam at the bell.

After pulling off the same maneuver in the opening minute of the final round, Castillo appeared to be in control as he held Cholish against the fence. Even standing, Castillo, while not a ball of energy, was doing enough to push the pace as Cholish seemed one step behind. Hear what Castill had to say about his performance

BERMUDEZ vs. GARZA

Lindenhurst, New York featherweight Dennis Bermudez earned his first UFC victory in dominant fashion, pounding out a three round unanimous decision win over Pablo Garza.

Scores were 30-27 across the board for The Ultimate Fighter 14 finalist, who improves to 9-3; Garza falls to 12-3.

Three slams and some effective ground and pound normally would be enough to win a round convincingly, but Dennis Bermudez was reminded by Pablo Garza to not get too confident, as a series of flush up kicks and the ever present threat of a submission kept “The Scarecrow” in the fight in the opening five minutes.

Having learned his first round lesson well, Bermudez’ second and third round attack went from reckless to punishing, as he again threw Garza to the mat on more than one occasion, but this time he was disciplined with his positioning and ground and pound, capping off an impressive and one-sided victory.

The Ultimate Fighter season 14’s Roland Delorme made it two in a row in the Octagon, shaking off some rough early moments to roar back and submit Nick Denis late in the first round of their bantamweight bout.

Throughout much of the first round, it appeared that Denis (11-3) was too strong and hit too hard for his Canadian countryman, but after getting staggered by punches and knees to the head, Delorme (7-2) shook the cobwebs loose and began swinging back, nailing and rocking Denis with his own shots in the final minute. Soon after the bout hit the mat, and Delorme pounced, sinking in a rear naked choke that produced a tap out with just one second remaining in the frame.

The Czech Republic’s Karlos Vemola made a successful middleweight debut in the opener, submitting local favorite Mike Massenzio in the second round.

“That’s my game,” said Vemola. “Once I get someone down and ground and pound, it’s over.”

With the exception of a brief guillotine choke attempt and a late takedown by Vemola, Massenzio controlled the opening frame, with a stiff left hand being his weapon of choice en route to some solid grappling work.

Vemola turned things around in the second though, getting Massenzio to the mat, where he proceeded to circle and take the New Jersey native’s back before sinking in the rear naked choke that ended matters at 1:07 of the round.

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